Mother of Skyloft
by Running Ninja
Summary: Zelda and Gaepora talk about Link's parents and their history, and where that boy got that darned virtuous spirit of his.


"Zelda, are you sure Link even wants to become a knight?"

"Dad, did you _meet_ his parents? It's what they were all about! Courage, honor, service to the people. That's what they were always saying, and he adopted that."

"His parents were apothecaries, Zelda."

"They trained here though! They even trained under you!"

"Zelda, there's no need to yell. Yes, I remember them. Who could forget the 'Mother of Skyloft'?"

Zelda froze. "Did they really call her that?"

"Yes, they did."

Zelda was silent. She knew everybody knew Link by his parents, but….she hadn't quite realized the magnitude of it.

"Wren dropped out of the academy to take care of her parents. She'd nursed them both, you see. Their disease was incurable and had long plagued their family line, and as their daughter turned fifteen their lives were cut short, though the end was drawn out," Gaepora said solemnly, and Zelda could sense he was launching into the story, and wouldn't be interrupted.

"Fifteen…she was so young. And she cut school to give them their bihourly potions, to spend every minute of every hour with them. Link inherited his courage from his mother."

"What about his dad?"

"A bit less noble to the eye, that one," Gaepora started, "but still had a good heart. A selfless one, to the core. He took on all her homework, every assignment, it was quite the mess when he was caught. He fought hard for her to stay in school, that one. When he wasn't running the Academy short on candles he was flying around gathering supplies for her parents' potions. He had four loftwings to care for, you know, because Wren didn't have time to fly hers and her parent's loftwings still needed care. Four birds and one stubborn girl to take care of. She was a lot like you."

"Link's mom?"

"Yes. Your own mother was quite close to her. It was your mother who in the end came to me to tell me Wren was quitting the Academy, well before Wren herself came forward about it. Oh, how Noah fought her leaving. He fought against every sacrifice she was willing to make, desperate to preserve that girl's childhood dream of knighthood as she wore herself thin and hollow-eyed. It was tragic, really."

Zelda shuffled her feet. Noah, Link's Dad, had been the one open about their past to Link and Zelda one afternoon. Wren was still trying to cover the scars, and so the story was kept quiet around the house. Zelda had been there when Link, a little Hylian tyke just like her, had asked, "Mommy, why don't we have grandparents?"

"We do, Link. Grandma Margaret—"

"But why only one? Zelda has four!"

Wren had dropped the bowl she was stirring unto the counter and dropped her face in her hands.

"You're lucky you're alive, don't you get it? You shouldn't be here, Link!" she'd cried, rocking as she held it in.

Noah had quickly swept to his wife's side. "Wren, it's okay," he'd coaxed, "Shhh, shhh, it's all right," he'd cast an anxious glance at the two tiny kids, eyes wide and frightened, "Go on along and play outside, could you?" And they had filed out, confused and silent as they sat beneath the tree that grew outside Link's house. After what felt like an eternity Noah came out to talk to them.

"Wren was almost inconsolable when she got pregnant," Gaepora whispered, "She and Noah were married, but she didn't want kids. She was terrified they'd endure what she had, nurse their parents to their deaths. She loved Link, but she could never come to terms with that half of her life."

Zelda still watched the ground, "They wanted him to study."

Gaepora nodded, "They sure raised a knight. Know the boy five minutes and he'll spout something noble at you. I think Wren might have overdone it with drilling those sayings into him."

"'You don't need swords and battles to be a hero," Zelda began, "what you need is—"

"Courage in your heart and a heart to serve others, no matter the cost," Gaepora finished. "I think that one is his favorite."

"Yeah," said Zelda, rocking on her toes. "He says it whenever he's feeling high and mighty."

Gaepora laughed. "He'll grow out of that. I think he already may have. But he has his parent's wisdom to guide him. And you, Zelda."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You're good for the boy. Afterall, you did trap him long enough for the truth to spill out and now he has a bed again."

"Pipit helped, too."

"Yes, my dear. Link owes Pipit as well."

"So, dad…"

"Yes, Zelda?"

"Are you mad at Link for the trouble his loftwing has caused?"

"His loftwing!" Gaepora laughed heartily, "That was amusing, that was, such a little boy and such a big bird."

"You're not mad about the door, then?"

Gaepora sighed. "The kid made up for it. He was forward and pledged to do every chore there was. His parents would be proud."

"They are," Zelda said, before falling silent.

"…Zelda? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Nothing, Father. I just think they would be, and still are in the afterlife. You saw them when he got his bird."

"Happy, that's the happiest I'd seen them since they got sick. And that bird, too. Bright red, with eyes even brighter than his plumage, and a sharp mind, as has been evidenced by recent events and that famous Bazaar episode."

"I'm glad my bird is dumb as rocks," Zelda said.

"She probably heard that, you know. She'll be sulking for days."

"At least she doesn't drag me off and throw me into buildings."

 _Thanks for reading! This is goes along with "Skyward Sword: Link's Parents", "A Loftwing's Idea of Flightschool", and "Grounded", a few oneshots I wrote about Link's childhood and his parents, and toward the end Gaepora and Zelda allude to those stories. This is set a short time after the events of "Grounded". If you like this head canon, there's more where it came from. Especially "SS: Link's Parents", that one is a more detailed telling of Wren and Noah's love story. Thanks for reading!_


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